TIP #251 - ANOTHER LOOK AT KENTUCKY, PART 2 Economically, Kentucky is very diversified! Agricultural: The Bluegrass, Pennyroyal and Western Coal Field, along with the Jackson Purchase area are the principal agricultural areas in the state, although it will be found throughout the state. Cattle, calves, milk and hogs are the leading livestock products; thoroughbred horses for the Bluegrass area is quite famous. Tobacco is the state's chief crop rankling behind only North Carolina. A lesser amount of soybeans, corn and hay are grown. Manufacturing: This has increased throughout the years following World War II and products include food, machinery, electrical equipment, chemical, cigarette, metals and transportation. Louisville, Covington, Lexington, Paducah, Owensboro and Bowling Green lead the state in manufacturing. Minerals and Mining: Bituminous coal has been exploited since the first settlers made their way into Kentucky; the opening in the 1850's of the Western Coal Field soon became commercially important. Greasy Creek was named for the oil deposits that lay underground. Other minerals include stone, sand and gravel, clay, zinc and fluorspar. Power: There are a number of generating plants along the Ohio River and the TVA operates a large plant on the Green River. Lumber: This is one of the oldest industries in the state with many furniture makers in the larger cities. When Kentucky was admitted to the Union in 1792, the estimated population was 73,000 people. The state lost many of its early settlers to the west and south. By 1970, the population was 3,219,311. 52% of these were shown to be urban. The principal denominations at that time was Southern Baptist, Roman Catholic, Methodist and Disciples of Christ. The largest cities are Louisville, Lexington, Covington, Owensboro, Bowling Green, Paducah, Ashland, Newport, Henderson and Frankfort in that order. The first school opened in Kentucky was at Fort Harrod in 1775 before Kentucky became a state. Now there are many schools and universities including University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky State University, University of Louisville, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Western Kentucky University, and Northern Kentucky State College. Noted private schools include Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky and Transylvania University. Culturally, Kentucky is not devoid in any way. The Speed Art Museum is in Louisville; The Audobun Museum at Henderson, the Filson Club in Louisville, the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, the Bardstown, KY whiskey museums, plus the Lexington and Louisville Symphony orchestras. Kentucky has the Mammoth Cave National Park, the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, John James Audubon State Park, the Blue Licks Battlefield, the General Butler state park, the Cumberland Falls, and the Daniel Boone state park. There is a restored fort at Harrodsburg (the first permanent settlement in Kentucky), the George Rogers Clark Memorial, the reconstructed Shaker community at Pleasant Hill, Liberty Hall, the old Frankfort Cemetery, the home of Henry Clay, the John Hunt Morgan home, Federal Hill (home of Col. John Rowan, composer of My Old Kentucky Home), Indian burial grounds, and Jefferson Davis monument. Of course, there's the Kentucky Derby and many county events. Kentucky's history begins early in our United States History. It's first settlers were the Indians, from the prehistoric Indians to the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Wyandots, Delawares, and Shawnees. When the white man arrived, Kentucky was the home of James Lane Allen, Mary Breckinridge, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, John Jordan Crittenden, John William Fox, William Goebel, James Guthrie, Matthew Harris Jouett, Simon Kenton, George Nicholas and Isaac Shelby. It also was the birth state of thousands of hard working, honest men and women whose names have been lost in town, or found scribbled in county records as they were born, married and died. Kentucky ... a wonderful place to live. (c) Copyright 9 June 1999, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved. sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Colonel Sandi Gorin 205 Clements,Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 or E-fax (707)222-1210 Gorin Genealogical Publishing: http://members.delphi.com/gorin1/index.html TIPS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Tips KYBIOS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Bios ARCHIVES: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl